Spider-Man: How do his powers stack-up?

By Jack Garner
Gannett News Service

"Spider-Man" swings into the multiplex Friday (May 3). But unless you've had your nose in Marvel or DC comic books most of your life, you may be wondering which guy Spidey is. Is he faster than a speeding bullet? Is he the Dark Knight of Gotham City? Does he fight vampires?

If you can't tell the superheroes without a scorecard, consider this your guide. Of the dozens of comic book superheroes, we've limited ourselves to those with a long and consistent following, including various TV and film incantations.

SPIDER-MAN

• AKA: Peter Parker
• Occupation: Student, then freelance photographer, teacher.
• Played on film by: Tobey Maquire.
• Love interest: Mary Jane Watson, whom he eventually marries.
• Base of operations: Metro New York City.
• First comic book appearance: 1962.
• His story: Orphaned when his parents died in a plane crash, Peter lived with an aunt and uncle, and was considered a bright but nerdy high school student. During a science demonstration, he was bitten by a radioactive spider, which soon gave him unique powers.
• His powers: Super-human strength, reflexes and balance, equivalent of a spider's at a man's size; ability to cling to most surfaces, a sixth sense that warns of impending danger. He mostly travels on strands of spiderlike webs that he creates from web-shooters attached to his wrists.
• His weaknesses: He initially uses his powers selfishly, in pursuit of TV stardom. His self-serving attitude inadvertently causes the death of his uncle, which teaches him that greater power also means greater responsibility. He's always shadowed by guilt.
• His chief adversaries: The Green Goblin, the Kingpin, the Vulture, Dr. Octopus, Mysterio, Kraven the Hunter and more.

SUPERMAN

• AKA: Clark Kent.
• Occupation: Mild-mannered reporter.
• Played on film by: Christopher Reeve.
• Played on TV by: George Reeves, Dean Cain, Tom Welling.
• Love interest: Lois Lane.
• Base of operations: Metropolis.
• First comic book appearance: 1938
• His story: He arrived on Earth as an infant, rocketed here from the exploding planet of Krypton. His superpowers became quickly evident, but were kept hidden until he could use them as an adult to right wrongs and corral evil. He's gone on to more than six decades of adventures in the comics, serials, TV and the movies, as the undisputed king of comic book superheroes.
• His powers: Superhuman strength, simply because the Krypton standard is far ahead of Earth's. Also, he can fly ("faster than a speeding bullet").
• His weaknesses: Exposure to the material known as kryptonite severely weakens Superman.
• His chief adversary: Lex Luthor.

BATMAN

• AKA: Bruce Wayne.
• Occupation: Wealthy industrialist, philanthropist.
• Played on film by: Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney.
• Played on TV by: Adam West.
• Love interest: Selina Kyle, AKA Catwoman.
• Base of operations: Gotham City.
• First comic book appearance: 1939.
• His story: Prompted by the violent deaths of his parents, he has pursued physical and mental perfection in a life-long crusade against crime. He's converted his mansion into a fortress, and has an array of vehicles and weapons, all built on a bat theme.
• His powers: Nothing but determination and will power. That's his cool calling card: He's human.
• His weaknesses: He's human.
• His chief adversaries: The Joker, the Penguin, Catwoman (though that eventually shifted to romance).

WONDER WOMAN

• AKA: Diana Prince.
• Occupation: Ambassador, teacher.
• Played on TV by: Lynda Carter, Cathy Lee Crosby.
• Love interest: Steve Trevor.
• Base of operations: New York City.
• First comic book appearance: 1941.
• Her story: Diana is the child of Greek myths and Amazon legends. She is the reincarnated spirit of a human child who died in the womb of a Greek goddess 30,000 years ago. She's given special powers by legendary Olympians, which make her the champion of all Amazons.
• Her powers: Super strength, Olympic skills.
• Her weaknesses: In the TV version, she lost power if her special belt was removed. That wasn't true in the comics.
• Her chief adversaries: Various manifestations of Ares,the god of war.

THE HULK

• AKA: Dr. Robert (or David) Bruce Banner.
• Occupation: nuclear physicist.
• Played on TV by: Bill Bixby.
• Played in Ang Lee film (due in 2003): Eric Bana.
• Love interest: Widower.
• Base of operations: Various.
• First comic book appearance: 1962.
• His story: While supervising a nuclear test for the U.S. Defense Department, he selflessly rescues a teen-ager who has wondered onto the test site, and takes on much of the blast, which changes him forever.
• His powers: Incredible size and superhuman strength, unleashed only at moments of severe stress.
• His weaknesses: The instability and lack of control of his super-human strength. He's at his most powerful when he's most emotional.
• His chief adversaries: Various threats to humanity.

BLADE

• AKA: Unrevealed.
• Occupation: Vampire hunter.
• Played on film by: Wesley Snipes.
• Love interest: He's a loner.
• Base of operations: Worldwide.
• First comic book appearance: 1973.
• His story: The child of a woman who was bitten by a vampire while he was still in the womb, he lives in a netherworld, half-human, half-vampire.
• His powers: The superpowers of a vampire, but channeled by his human side to combat full-fledged vampires.
• His weaknesses: The volatile, unstable nature of his vampire tendencies.
• His chief adversaries: Any and all variations of Dracula and his horde.